Keyboard mechanism of the power-operated type



P 8, 1953 R. H. TURNER 2,651,406

KEYBOARD MECHANISM OF THE POWER-OPERATED TYPE Filed Feb. 25, 1950 2 sheets sheet 1 TTORNEYS sqbf- 8, 3 R. H. TURNE R 2,651,406

KEYBOARD MECHANISM OF THE POWER-OPERATED TYPE Filed Feb. 25, *9

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 {I 7/ I ,INVEN-TOIR BY T ORNEYS 'ating reeds. use, it is customary to lock the finger keys to prevent their accidental actuation, and in the earlier commercial machines the means em-' Patented Sept. 8, 1953 V, .7 06, 11.; KEYBOARD MECHANISM OF THE Y rowan-creamer) .TYPE 7.

Ransom HL Turner, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Mergenth'ale'r-Liiiotype com anna corporation of New York Application February 25, 1950, Serial no. 146,225

This invention relates to' typograpical composing ,machines, .such as' Linotype machines of the general organization represented in U. S.

Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532,

.wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine by the manipulation of a keyboard "and then composed in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a slotted mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter elevated and returned through distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started. a V a In these machines, the keyboard mechanism usually includes a single series of vertical slides or'so-called key bars" connected to the rear ends of the finger keys and adapted, as the keys "are depressed, to trip power-operated devices for therelease of the individual matrices through a corresponding series of verticales'capement actu- When the machines are not in ployed for this purpose consisted merely of an 7 adjustable rod arranged horizontally at the back of the keyboard in position to be engaged or disengaged withand from the series of "key bars, as desired. 7

However, in the later improved machines,

changes made in the keyboard mechanism neces sitated the provision of a different form of locking means, and the device finally adopted'and now in general use is in the form of a rectangu- Y lar plate slidably mounted on the front plate of the keyboard frame and'having elongated slots "through whichthe forward ends of the finger keys extend (see Kennedy Patent No. 1,397,971). This locking plate is effective in looking all the finger keys which control the release of the matrices, but it is ineffective as to the spacer releasing keys, so that to overcome the difficulties -.arising.from such conditionga separate device associated withsaidlocking plate and controlled thereby had to be devised for locking and releasing the spacer key (see the Straughan Patent No.

' 1,835,537). While these later keyboard locking devices have been found to be thoroughly'practical, they involve an excessive numbero'f parts,

' are expensive to manufacture and install, and are otherwise objectionable.

The present inven'tionis directed to an improved a keyboard locking devicQwhichifwill possess all of the-advantagesof the devices above 6 claims. (01. 199-18) discussed, but which will be free'from the objections and disadvantages attending the manufactureand use of said devices; Infthe preferred embodiment illustrated, the improved locking device is in the form of a rotatable rod arranged to'be set in one or the other of two difierent operative positions for engagement with the key bars. In one of its positions (its stop position), therod will permit the key barsto be raised in tripping the power driven elements but will limit such upward tripping'movement of the key bars in the required manner. In its other position (its lockin position), the rod will prevent such upward tripping movement of the key bars and thus lock the keyboard out of action. Means, operable at willlfrom the front of the keyboard,

are provided for setting the combined stop and lock'rodin either of its adjusted positions.

" It may be explained 'that,'in the standard Linotype keyboard now in use, the key bars are supported in their lower or normal position of rest upon a so called banking bar, being weighted to drop by gravity after each actuation. A separate bar is employed tolimit the upward movement of the key bars in tripping the power driven elements. This separate stop bar has been replaced by the combined stop and lock rod above described which, by reason of its form and, adjustability, acts to perform the dual function pointed'out.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig.;l is a front elevation of a portion of a Linotype-machine equipped with the present improvements; I 7 Fig.2 is a side elevation of the keyboard mechanism having the improved locking device applied thereto; a

. look'bar in its locking position; and

Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one finger'key and its key bar-showing the combined stop and Fig. 5 is-a similar view but showing the cornbined stop'and-lock bar in its stop position.

. The matrices X and spacers Y (Fig. 1) are reposition in line by the manipulation of the finger keysof the keyboard, which includes-ninety keys leased from their respective magazines for com- A for the release of thematrices and one or more finger keys B for the release of the spacers.

The matrix releasing finger keys A are in the form of substantially straight levers mounted to rock on fixed pivot rods A secured to the side plates C of the keyboard frame C. The spacer V key B, on the other hand,is in the form of a rockinglever comprising a horizontal rock shaft B journalled in the side plates C and provided at the right hand side of the keyboard with a rearwardly extending arm (not shown) to make connection with the corresponding key bar.

At their extreme ends, the finger keys A are formed with reduced portions (1 which engage in corresponding notches d formed in the forward edges of a series of vertically movable weighted key bars or slides D. When the finger keys are depressed, the slides D are raised and when the finger keys are released the slides drop by gravity and return the finger keys to their normal position. The spacer key B is connected in similar fashion to one of the slides D. 1

The key bars D, in rising, set into motion the power driven elements which cause the release of the matrices and spacers from their respective magazines. These devices, being so well known, are not herein illustrated but include two series of trip dogs connected'to the upper ends of the key bars, two series of pivoted cam yokes supported by said dogs and provided with rotatable cams, two constantly driven rubber covered rolls arranged below the two series of cams (one roll being shown at A and a single series of escapement actuating reeds A which are elevated by the cam yokes under the influence of the rotary cams when the latter drop into peripheral contact with the rolls.

The key bars D are supported (as in the Kennedy Patent No. 1,487,784) in a subsidiary frame detachably secured to the keyboard frame C. This subsidiary frame comprises a, so-called banking bar E, two end posts E and upper and lower comb plates E and E The two combplates guide the key bars in their upward and downward movements and the banking bar supports them in their lower normal position of rest, it being noted that the key bars are formed in their rear edges with vertical elongated notches e in which the banking bar is arranged and which present at their upper ends squared-off shoulders e seated upon the upper flat surface of the banking 'bar. The widened weighted portions e of the key bars are located some distance below the notches e and present at their upper ends rather wide squared-off shoulders e which, in the regular Linotype keyboard now in use, are adapted to engage a fixed overlying stop bar in limiting the upward tripping movement of the key bars.

As thus far described, except as hereinafter -pointed out, the parts, their construction and mode of operation are or may be the same as those embodied in the standard Linotype keyboard now in use and in themselves constitute no part of the present invention,which, as before stated, is directed to a combined stop and lock rod for the key bars.

In the present embodiment, this combined stop and lock rod F isalso mounted in the detachable subsidiary frame above described so as not to interfere with the removal and replacement of the key bar unit, as heretofore. As shown, the

rod F (like the customary stop bar) is located above the widened weighted portions e of the key bars but, according to the present invention, is rotatably mounted in the subsidiary frame so as to be adjustable to two different operative positions. In one position, as shown in Fig. 5, the rod F will permit but limit the upward movement of the key bars D in tripping the power driven cam yokes, being formed for the purpose with a straight flat surface F which will be engaged 4 by the shoulders e (substantially as in the case of the fixed stop bar heretofore employed). As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the extent of the upward movement of the key bars must be definitely controlled in order to insure the proper operation of the power-operated cam yokes, which are first tripped to allow the rotary cams thereon to be engaged with he constantly driven rubber covered rolls and which are later reset in their original positions to disengage the rotary cams from the rolls and thus bring the parts to rest. In the position shown in Fig. 4, the rod F will prevent such upward tripping movement of the key bars, being formed for the purpose with a, second straight flat surface F which will be engaged by the shoulders 2 A certain amount of clearance be tween the lock rod and the key bars is desirable, as indicated in Fig. 4, but it will be understood that such slight movement which may be imparted to the key bars as a result of this clearance is not enough to permit them to trip the cam yokes, the effect being exactly the same as if the key bars were locked against any movement at all. By comparing Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the two engaging surfaces F and F of the rod F are located at different radial distances from its axis or rotation, thus allowing the rod to perform the dual function of a combined stop and lock rod.

It may be noted that the rod F is always free to rotate from its stop position to its lock position, the stop surface F during such rotation acting as a cam to depress any stop bar D which may be standing above its normal position. This additional function of the rod F is very advantageous since it frequently happens that a stop bar will become lodged in its raised position and cause repeated operations of the corresponding cam yoke, resulting in the release of more than one matrix from the magazine channel. Whenever this occurs, the operator has only to adjust the rod F to lock position and then restore it immediately to stop position. The surface I formed at the lower front corner of the rod F is intended to avoid contact between the rod and the stop bars as the rod is rotated from lock position to stop position.

As a convenient method of mounting, the rod F is formed at its opposite ends with trunnions F mounted to turn in bearings formed in the end posts E of the subsidiary supporting frame. At the right side of the keyboard, the rod F has fixedly attached thereto a bridge plate F spanning the frame post E At its outer extremity the plate F has fixedly attached thereto a bent operating link F which is connected by a pin and slot device F to an arm F extending rearwardly from the stub shaft of a hand lever F pivotally mounted on the right hand side plate C of the keyboard. This hand lever F near its upper end, is engaged by a spring plate F having two locking sockets F and F into one or the other of which the hand lever is moved in adjusting the rod F. In Fig. 2, the hand lever F is shown as locked in its forward position by the socket F with-the rod F adjusted to its stop position as shown in Fig, 5; whereas in Fig. 3, the hand lever is shown as locked in its rearward position by the socket F", with the rod F adjusted to its locking position as shown in Fig. 4. When the subsidiary frame is to be removed, the co nection between the hand lever F and the rod F may be broken, either by removing the cap screw F y which the link F is secured to the bridge plate F or by leaving open the forward end of the slot F formed in the arm F It will be understood that the combined stop and lock bar may be adjusted to and maintained in either of its adjusted positions by any suit able form of mechanism, that shown being merely exemplary, although it is desirable in any case to employ a hand lever which is readily accessible to the operator while seated at the keyboard. It will also be understood that the form and mounting of the rod F may be varied so long as it is capable of being adjusted to two different positions to perform its dual function of a combined stop and lock rod.

What is claimed is:

1. In a keyboard mechanism of the poweroperated type, the combination of a series of pivoted finger keys arranged in a plurality of rows at different levels, a corresponding series of vertically movable key bars connected to the finger keys and controlling the operation of the power driven elements, a combined stop and lock rod mounted in engaging relation to the key bars and acting as the sole means for controlling their upward movement, said rod being rotatably mounted for adjustment to one or the other of two different positions and formed with two different key bar engaging surfaces located at different radial distances from the axis of rotation, one of said surfaces in the adjusted stop position of the rod acting to permit but limit the upward movement of the key bars in tripping the power driven elements, and the other of said surfaces acting to lock the key bars against such upward tripping movement, said rod being locked against turning movement by the key bars in each of its two different positions.

2. In a keyboard mechanism of the poweroperated type, the combination of a series of pivoted finger keys arranged in a plurality of rows at different levels, a corresponding series of vertically movable key bars connected to the finger keys and controlling the operation of the power driven elements, said key bars having horizontal shoulders arranged at a common level, a combined stop and lock rod common to all the key bars and acting as the sole means for controlling their upward movement, and means mounting said rod for adjustment to two different operative positions, one a stop position and the other a lock position, said rod in its adjusted stop position presenting an arresting surface located at a given distance above the horizontally aligned shoulders of the key bars to permit but limit the upward movement of said bars in tripping the power driven elements, and said rod in its adjusted lock position presenting an arresting surface located at a lesser distance above the horizontally aligned shoulders of the key bars to prevent such upward tripping movement, said rod being locked against turning movement by the key bars in each of its two different positions.

3. In a keyboard mechanism of the poweroperated type, the combination of a series of vertically movable key bars controlling the operation of the power driven elements, said bars being formed on their rear edges near the top with vertical elongated notches presenting horizontally aligned squared-off shoulders at their upper ends, and said bars below said notches having widened weighted portions presenting horizontally aligned squared-off shoulders at their upper ends. a horizontally disposed banking bar upon which the key bars are supported in their lower position of rest, said bar being arranged in the vertical elongated notches with the upper squared-off shoulders thereof seated on the bar, and a combined stop and lock rod arranged above the widened weighted portions of the key bars and acting as the sole means for controlling the upward movement of said key bars, said rod being rotatably mounted for adjustment in opposite directions to one or the other of two different operative positions, said rod. being formed with two angularly related flat longitudinal surfaces located at different perpendicular distances from the axis of rotation, one of said longitudinal surfaces in the adjusted stop position of the rod being horizontally disposed and located at a given distance above the horizontally aligned squared-off shoulders to permit but limit the upward movement of the key bars in tripping the power driven elements, and the other longitudinal surface in the adjusted lock position of the rod being horizontally disposed and located at a lesser distance above the horizontally aligned squared-off shoulders to prevent the upward tripping movement of said bars, said rod being locked against turning movement by the key bars in each of its two different positions.

4. The combination according to claim 3 including, as a further element, a pivoted hand lever mounted on the keyboard frame and connected to the stop rod to adjust it to either of its two different positions.

5. The combination according to claim 4 including, as a further element, a spring-actuated plate to hold the pivoted hand lever in either of its operated positions.

6. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinal surface which is operative in the adjusted stop position of the combined stop and lock rod, during the rotary adjustment of said rod from stop position to lock position, engages the squared-off shoulder of any key bar standing above its normal position and depresses the bar to such position for proper cooperation with the other longitudinal surface of the rod in its adjusted lock position.

RANSOM H. TURNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 889,231 Holbourns et a1. June 2, 1908 1,040,584 Schaafi Oct. 8, 1912 

